Lightwater Valley

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Lightwater Valley
Location North Yorkshire, England
Website www.lightwatervalley.co.uk
Owner Heritage Great Britain PLC
Operating season March to October
Area 175 acres (708,000 m²)
Rides over 40 total

Lightwater Valley is a theme park set within a 175-acre (0.71 km²) site in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. The park is best known for being the home of Europe’s longest rollercoaster - The Ultimate, but has around 40 other rides including the Eagle’s Claw, The Hornet’s Nest and a giant triple shoot water slide – The Falls of Terror. The park is built around a lake and visitors are able to climb aboard the Lightwater Express for a round-the-park train ride.

Located in the grounds of Lightwater Valley Theme Park, there is also a Birds of Prey Centre. Established to raise awareness of a wide selection of birds of prey, this facility offers what you could call a unique experience. As well as having possibly the largest Golden Eagle in England, you can learn about every aspect of the birds' life and care. Visitors also have the opportunity to see how these birds are trained and handled, as well as being treated to flying shows at 2:00pm and 4:00pm every day. You can even volunteer to pull on a gauntlet and allow their trained raptors to land on your arm or even have your photo taken whilst holding Gizmo, the little owl who can fit in the palm of your hand. Also within the Lightwater Valley Bird of Prey Centre is the Creepy Crawly Cave, where you can come face-to-face with snakes, a tarantula, frogs, toads, rats and even Australian Bearded Dragons!

Lightwater Valley is also home to a factory outlet style shopping village with over 30,000 square feet (2,800 m²) of undercover retail space and a restaurant / coffee shop called The Granary.

The complex is operated by Lightwater Valley Attractions Limited, a division of the holding company Heritage Great Britain PLC. Heritage Great Britain PLC is the name behind some of the United Kingdom's landmark destinations and most popular visitor attractions. Their portfolio stretches from Land's End at the south western tip of Cornwall to John O'Groats in the far north of Scotland. In between, the 105 year old Snowdon Mountain Railway takes passengers from Llanberis, in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, to the summit of the highest mountain in England and Wales. The Needles Park welcomes visitors to the Isle of Wight's famous lighthouse and Needles Rocks, whilst Miniatura Park is a fun and friendly park of Follies close to Newquay in the heart of Cornwall.

Lightwater Valley was founded by Robert Staveley and initially evolved from a small farm attraction.

The boating lake at Lightwater Valley theme park
The boating lake at Lightwater Valley theme park

Contents

[edit] Park information

[edit] History

The park was originally a strawberry farm, which due to a drought had a lake added. This proved popular, and gradually minor rides were added, and the theme park grew up from there.

[edit] Amusement rides

The theme park line-up comprises a varied selection rides, including Europe’s longest rollercoaster - The Ultimate, as well as The Eagle’s Claw, The Hornet’s Nest and a giant triple shoot water slide – The Falls of Terror! Other rides include Trauma Tower, The Grizzly Bear and The Twister. For those people who want a more leisurely afternoon, you can take a gentle stroll around the picturesque lake, enjoy a relaxing game of crazy golf or just climb aboard the Lightwater Express for a round-the-park train ride.

The Hornet's Nest was billed as the new ride for 2007 but due to technical difficulties, failed to open to the public that year. A 25 metre Ferris Wheel is new for the 2008 season. It is called Lightwater wheel and is themed as a water wheel. The attraction that was previously located here, has had its main drop section turned into a water cascade to match the wheels theme

[edit] The Ultimate roller coaster

Main article: Ultimate (roller coaster)

Lightwater Valley’s signature attraction, The Ultimate, is a unique terrain roller coaster which was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records for being the world’s longest roller coaster, for ten consecutive years from 1991 to 2001. The Ultimate is approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and remains the longest Roller Coaster in Europe. It cost £5.2 million and was built by British Rail. Frank Bruno MBE opened the ride in 1991 and The parks motto is 'The ULTIMATE family day out.'

[edit] Mascots

"The Valligators" are three friendly green alliagator costumed entertainers who currently act as the park’s mascots and entertain the younger visitors to Lightwater Valley.

[edit] Bird of Prey Centre

Set within the grounds of Lightwater Valley Theme Park, you'll also find the Birds of Prey Centre. Established to raise awareness of a wide selection of breath-taking birds, this facility offers a truly unique experience. As well as having possibly the largest Golden Eagle in England, visitors can go along and learn about every aspect of the birds' life and care. Likewise, visitors also have the opportunity to see how these birds are trained and handled, as well as being treated to dramatic flying shows at 2:00pm and 4:00pm every day. You can even volunteer to pull on a gauntlet and allow these trained raptors to land on your arm or even have your photo taken whilst holding Gizmo, the little owl who can fit in the palm of your hand.

Also within the Lightwater Valley Bird of Prey Centre is the Creepy Crawly Cave - feel the shivers down your spine as you come face-to-face with snakes, a tarantula, frogs, toads, rats and even Australian Bearded Dragons!

[edit] Accident

Twenty year old Gemma Savage died on 21 June 2001 following an accident the previous day when two carriages collided on the "Treetop Twister", a spinning Wild Mouse roller coaster, which had opened in May that year.[1] Police decided not to prosecute a maintenance worker, who claimed that he had only received an hour's training on that ride and had not seen its manual.[2] Faulty wiring had also caused a malfunction on the ride.[3] In October 2004 Deputy Coroner John Sleightholme at Skipton Magistrates' Court ruled death by misadventure.

Lightwater Valley's owners and electrician Eric Butters admitted breaching health and safety laws at Leeds Crown Court on 14 November 2006. Lightwater Valley Attractions Ltd was charged with failing to ensure the health and safety of riders, Butters was charged with failing to ensure safety through his work. Both pleaded guilty.[4] A French manufacturer, Reverchon Industries SA, was convicted of two charges of failing to ensure the ride's safe design and construction.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Student dies after fairground crash", BBC News, 21 June 2001. Retrieved on 2006-11-30. 
  2. ^ "Worker cleared over ride death", BBC News, 31 August 2001. Retrieved on 2006-11-30. 
  3. ^ "'Worker error' before ride death", BBC News, 5 October 2004. Retrieved on 2006-11-30. 
  4. ^ "Theme park guilty over ride death", BBC News, 14 November 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-30. 
  5. ^ "Firm guilty over park ride death", BBC News, 30 November 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-30. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Fan Sites

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